Chapter 1 Government

Principles of Government Section 1 Principles of Government

States A body of people living in a defined territory, organized politically, with the authority to make and enforce laws without the consent of any higher authority. States may also be referred to as Countries or nations 160+ states in existence today. All states are not equal in power, size, wealth, etc. Essential Features of a State Population – size of the population is not essential for existence Territory – must be known and have recognized boundaries. Sovereignty – every State, in theory, has supreme and absolute authority within its own borders. Can decide on own foreign and domestic policies. Government – all States have some form of government in which each state is free to choose the type of government. (In theory)

Origins of State Theories Force Theory – one person of a small group gained control over an area and forced all to submit to them. Evolutionary Theory – Family → Clan → Tribe Divine Right Theory – God gave those royal birth the right to rule Social Contract Theory – the State arose out of a voluntary act of free man. People gave up certain rights for the betterment of the group.

Important influences Separation of powers was originally conceived by the French Enlightenment political philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu, The three main branches of government-legislative, executive and judical- are all separate and distinct from one another and therefore a natural checks and balances to the power of the government is created. John Locke-His theory was a social contract.-Citizens are to obey the government conditional upon protection of rights. If the government does not come through, the citizens have the right to overthrow it! “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights: that among these are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” -The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson is our legacy. The words "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" were taken from John Locke's "life, liberty, and the pursuit of property."

James Harrington- wrote “The Commonwealth of Oceana(1656) John Locke- Government should protect people’s natural rights Monarchs not chosen by God Government by consent Power limited by laws Ideas foundation for modern democracy James Harrington- wrote “The Commonwealth of Oceana(1656) English philosopher, his 1656 tract advocated the setting up of a state run by the landed aristocracy, albeit with a written constitution and restrictions on amount of land-holdings to balance the power.  Particularly influential on the leaders of the American Revolution.

Thomas Hobbes – social contract(First to develop a theory) His state of nature: Man is bad-Emphasis on the state. His contract-Citizens give their loyalty to the sovereign. They are given back safety and security. His main idea was that the state is supreme because it protects the citizens and “forces” them to be good. Jean Jacques Rousseau – freedom of religion, equality, no nobility His state of nature-Man is good. Emphasis on people. He disliked civilization. He said that man used to be free, now he is enslaved. All men are to be considered equal. His social contract-Accepted by all. All agree to give up some freedom in order to guarantee protections. Locke, Harrington, Hobbes and Rousseau would most likely agree that the state exists to serve the will of the people. (on the final)

Government Institution in which a society makes and enforces its public policies Governments emerged when people realized that they could not live without some form of authority.

Purpose of Government Maintain social order – has the power (making & enforcing laws) to make us do things that we normally would not do. Providing public service – takes on projects that individuals wouldn’t do themselves. Providing a national security – Protects us from attacks by other states and internal threats (terrorism). Making economic decisions – Laws and regulations are passed to guide the economy in various ways. Farm subsidies, tariffs, interest rates, etc

Formation of Governments Section 2 Formation of Governments

Where is the power? Unitary – Centralized government. A government in which all of the power to govern belongs to a single center of power. Federal – Form of government in which Constitutional arrangement distributes power between a central government and sub-divisional governments where both governments exercise direct authority over individuals. Basically it is a system in which the powers to govern are divided between a central organization and several local governments.

Constitutions & Government Provides supreme law for the country Establishes a structure and purpose for government Gives citizens their rights Written or unwritten, it gives organization and structure to the government Written – U.S., France, Italy Unwritten – Great Britain

Constitutions & Government Framework Sets out plan for the government, national-state relationship, procedures for amending the constitution Preamble Statement of goals and purpose of the government Highest Law Defines the extent and limits of government power and rights of citizens Constitutional law involves the interpretation and application of the constitution.

Section 3 Types of Government

Types of Government Governments are classified according to who governs the state. Three types: Autocracy Oligarchy Democracy

Autocracy Power resides in a single individual Totalitarian Dictatorships (Hitler) Ideas of a single leader or group of leaders is glorified Absolute Monarchy (King of Saudi Arabia) King/queen has unlimited power to rule Constitutional Monarchy (Great Britain) Monarchs share powers with elected legislatures

Oligarchy Small group of people holds the power Today the governments of Communist countries, such as China, are mostly oligarchies. In such countries, leaders in the Communist Party and the armed forces control the government. The group derives its power from wealth, military power, social position, or a combination of these elements. Sometimes religion is the source of the power.

Democracy The people hold the sovereign power United States Direct Democracy The will of the people is translated into law directly by the people in mass meetings. Representative Democracy The popular will of the people is expressed through a small group of people chosen by the people to act as their representatives. It is a system of government in which public policies are made by officials who are selected by voters and held accountable to them in periodic elections.

Basic Concepts of Democracy Recognition of the worth of all persons. Belief that all persons have dignity and worth no matter their lot in life. Respect for the equality of all persons. “All men are created equal” does not mean equal in the literal sense, but equal opportunity under the law.

Basic Concepts of Democracy Majority rule with respect to minority rights. The idea that the majority will be right more often than one or a small group. In a democracy we are not necessarily looking for the “right” answer, but a satisfactory solution Necessity of Compromise Our country is based upon compromise. Democracy cannot exist without it. Compromise is a way of achieving majority agreement. Individual Freedom We as citizens enjoy certain freedoms (Bill of Rights) but absolute freedom would result in anarchy.

Soil of Democracy Requires citizens who are willing to participate in civic life Economies with a large middle class strengthen democracies Public school systems strengthen democracy Impossible without a civil society, organizations must exist for democracy to flourish Individual liberty and equality for all

Section 4 Economic Theories

Role of Economic Systems What and how much should be produced? How goods and services should be produced? Who gets that goods and services produced? Types of Economic Systems Capitalism Socialism Communism

Capitalism Private ownership of property and resources Free enterprise Business competition Freedom of choice Possibility of profits Adam Smith provided this philosophy-Government adopts a “laissez faire” policy which means to leave alone. No nation has a pure capitalist system

Socialism Public ownership of most land and the means of production Government control over most economic decisions Equal distribution of wealth Workers should share equally in the benefits of production Thought that this system hinders economic growth

Communism Karl Marx advocated this economic system. He felt in time, socialism would develop into full communism where one class would evolve. Property would be held in common, and there would be no need for government. All decisions are made at the upper levels of government Government owns all means of production and distribution